Alexander Valley

This is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot 7%, Cabernet Franc, and 6% Malbec.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, char, tobacco, slight graphite and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this drinks well.  Flavors of cassis, plums with some tobacco and char.  Good finish.  This is drinking well on its own and will work nicely with beef dishes.  Drink over the next five to ten years.  

A lovely, old school Zinfandel.  Whether one thinks this is young or ready or old is a matter of preference.  For my tastes, this is drinking youthfully but ready.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has bramble, raspberries, slight black cherries and spice.  Light but present tannins.  On the palate, bramble and black cherries with spice and slight char.  Drinks well.  Not over the top.  Very nice on its own but better with food.  A great wine with pizza.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  

This offers nicely balanced red fruit with minimal oak, solid acidity and decent tannic structure. Not an easy thing to find in a Merlot, and a Merlot at this price. Black cherry, black berry, huckleberry, red currant, light cedar and vanilla notes dominate and this is a very comprehensive wine. Mainly Merlot, there are small percentages of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Syrah and Malbec. It was aged for 14 months in French oak, only 40% of which was new, hence the light wood touch. What this ultimately offers is a robust Merlot that is well worth the price.

This 2014 Blanc de Blanc is a sparkling wine with a brisk acidity and a hint of chalky minerality. Hand harvested and whole cluster pressed, there’s a lovely creaminess to this wine with very mild carbonation, allowing more of the fruit to come through. It offers lemon-lime notes, guava, red delicious apple and grannie smith green apple, light unsweetened honeysuckle, Asian pear, a hint of baked brioche. The balance of the flavors makes this easy to pair with a diversity of foods. 178 cases. ORIGIN: Alexander Valley, Sonoma. ALCOHOL: 12.5%

Perhaps the top bottling from this storied winery.  Ruby in color, purple at the core, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, pomegranate, and a slight earthiness.  Full bodied.  On the palate, sour cherries, some cranberries, root beer, and the slightest milk chocolate note at the top of the long finish.  Complex and tightly layered, it unwinds quickly in the glass.  This is drinking close to peak it seems but should drink well for another ten years or so.  Nice on its own, this would be better with food.  Roasted Duck would be an obvious choice.  

This is a very nice Sonoma County Chardonnay.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with lemons, green apples, slight vanilla, light toast, and slight buttery note.  Full bodied.  Crisp acidity.  On the palate, lots of yellow grapefruit notes with some vanilla.  Plenty of depth.  Long finish.  This drinks great on its own but will work well with sea food or vegetarian dishes.  Drink over the next eight to ten years.  

Very nice showing for this wine.  It has long been a steakhouse restaurant favorite yet its fans remain consistent and loyal.  It was a pleasure to drink this and it had been some time since enjoying this wine.  Purple in color with ruby swirls.  The nose is nice with cassis, cherries, cedar and spice.  It has a nice sinewy texture.  Softer with light tannins.  On the palate, there is some depth/complexity with cassis and char.  Long finish.  This is drinking well now and should continue to drink well for another eight to twelve years.  It drinks well on its own, and would certainly work we

Love these wines.  They deserve more attention.  A middle of the road Zinfandel in style.  Garnet in color, clear and bright.  The nose has black cherries, char, slight bramble and spice.  Medium to full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Cherries, some black cherries with underlying char.  Great balance.  Long finish.  This is drinking great now and should continue to for seven to ten more years.  It drinks well on its own and would work great with a burger and roasted corn.  

A nice Cab from California from this old school producer.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is classic with cassis, slight saddle leather, baking spices and slight cedar.  Medium to full bodied,  On the palate, cassis, some spice with underlying char and a slight herbal note.  Some depth and complexity.  Medium tannins.  Nice finish.  This will continue to age and mature for another seven to ten years.  Great on its own and will work well with a burger or a steak.  

This was a couple of steps better than the 2017.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black cherries, some raspberries, a bit of bramble and spice.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, this is drinking youthfully but delicious.  Light tannins.  Black cherries and some cherry fruit with a bit of baking spice and a bit of black pepper on the finish.  Great on it own, this would work well with grilled meats or fowl.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.